Valve for internal-combustion engines



' I R 16,286 W. G. BUCK VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES March 91926.

Originaljiled March 23, 1917 IIE y N V k Reissued Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED sTATss PATENT ounce.

v WILMEB G. BUCK, OI FBEMONT, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,TO

CONTINENTAL ENGINEERING CORPORATION, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA; A CORPORA- TIONOF NEBRASKA.

Original No. 1,244,287, dated October 23, 1917, Serial No.156,845,1fi1ed March 2 3, 1917. Application for reissue filed July 17,1920. Serial 1T0..397,123.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILMER G. BUCK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a valve and valve operating meansadapted for use in connection'with gasolene motors for automobiles, etc.

One object of the invention is to arrange a means for giving a partialrotativc movement to the valve about its longitudinal axis while it isunseated, thereby at each operation bringing into the path of the hotgases a different portion of the valve and valve stem, thus eliminatingthe warping and. distortion that would be encountered if the valve wereoperated without this turning feature.

Another object of the invention is to providea ball-bearing oranti-friction mounting about which the valve stem rotates, so as toeliminate any objectionable friction and binding during such rotativemovement,

and to arrange this mounting in a manner whereby it is capable of-aquick and easy assemblance and disassemblance.

A further object of the invention is to provide a connection between thevalve stem and a portion of the anti-friction mounting so as to make apositive unitary movement between the valve stem and this portion of themounting, and, at the same time, allow of the separation of: the valvestem from the mounting if the same should become necessary, and to allowa quick and ready assemblance of the mounting on the valve stem.

Other objects of the invention are, to provide a threaded member whichwill give a partial rotatir a movement to the valve stem; to arrange aclutch connection for elfecting such partial rotative movement, whichbecomes operative at a certain'period in the movement of the valve; andto provide a continuous shoulder on the valve stem against which vthethreaded -member for giving the partial rotative movement abuts.

The invention further consists in the feament of the parts comprisingthe anti-trio tion mounting previous to their assemblance; and 1 Fig.4:, a top view of the valve. The present invention relates to certainimprovements and structural changes in the valve shown and described inPatent No.

1,183,852, issued to me May 23, 1916, and

entitled Valves for internal combustion engines. In the presentapplication the valve is shown as applied to an overhead system,although such statement is not intended toimply any limitation on thepres ent application or upon the issued patent above referred to.

Referring now to the drawings, the invention is shown in conjunctionwith a cylinder 4 of an internal combustion engine,

which may he of any size and arrangement. The, cylinder contains a valveopening 5, which may be either inlet or exhaust; and controlling thisopening is a valve head 6. This head is attached to a valve stem 7,which is reduced at its upper portion 8,

thereby providing a shoulder 9 intermediate its length. Against this.shoulder abuts the lower end 10 of an exteriorly threaded member 11,which member is rotatively mounted upon the reduced portion 8 of thevalve stem. The threads on the exterior of this member, as shown, are'of a spiral formation and are adapted to mesh with interior spiralthreads 12 in a barrel 13, which is positioned upon the cylinder. Thebarrel terminates, in the construction shown, in a flanged end 14. v I

Also mounted uponthe reduced portion 8 of the valve stem is a sleeve15'having, on'its lower end, clutch teeth 16, adapted to mesh with clutchteeth 17 on the upper end of the threaded member 11. This sleeve 15terminates in a head..l8, having formed therein a raceway 19 forball-bearings 20. The head is further provided with an elongated recess21 extending partially therethrough, as will be understood, from thedrawings. In this recess rests a pin or other member 22 carried by theupper end of the valve stem and extending crosswise of said stem and toa point beyond the periphery thereof. This pin is approximately e ual tothe length of the recess 21, so that w lien the pin is placed within therecess, it forms an interlocking connection between the valve stem andhead 18, which causes both of these parts to rotate in unison; and theamount of engaging surface between the head and pin is sufiicient sothat the connection is strong and rigid and will not give way by reasonof any shearing strains, nor permit any lost 'motion between the headand valve stem but will make them turn as a unit.

Below the head 18 is a collar 23 containing a raceway 24, which cooerates with the raceway 19 to form the comp ete raceway for theball-bearings 20. As will be seen from the drawings, this collar 23 isarranged with a loose fit as respects the head 18, so

that this head may revolve without turning the collar. The collar isheld upward and in engagement with the balls by means of a spring 25interposed between the lower face of the collar and the flange 14; ofthe barrel 13. This spring, inv addition to holding the collar againstrotative movement when the head is turned, moves the valve back tonormal or seated condition. The collar 23, on its under face, isprovided with a groove 26, in which seats a ring 27 having a driving fitupon the sleeve 15, and when this ring is driven a into position as inFig. 1, the collar 23 and head 18 are held against movement toward andfrom one another, so that they are not capable of a separation.

The construction of the ball-bearing raceway above described is onewhich is very advantageous in assembling or -disassem bling the device.WVhen it is desired to assemble said ball-bearing mounting the parts areplaced in the position shown in Fig. 3, wherein the ring 2 is spacedaway from the collar 23, and the collar 23 in turn is spaced 'away fromthe head 18. The balls are then placed within the raceway 19 of the head'18, and the collar 23 is dropped to position.

Then, by means of a suitable tool, the ring 27 is driven downwarduponthe sleeve 15 until it lies within the groove 26 of the collar 23'; andowing to the said ring having a driving fit upon the sleeve 15, thecollar 23, head 18, and sleeve 15 are locked in position,

i so that the ball-bearing mounting is completel assembled. Thismounting is then place over the stem and pressed down until the clutchsurfaces 16 and 17 engage. This 22 is driven into place will allow theshaft.

the spring 25 will force it upward and the pin 22 will enter therecess21 in the head 18. Thus the mourting is'placed in position on thevalve stem. Previous to the placing of the mounting on the stem, thebarrel 13, threaded member 11, and spring 25 will have been placed inposition,

on the valve stem, the parts of the valve are all assembled and readyfor operation. The parts can be disassembled through the same steps,except that they will be made in reverse order.

The operation of the device is as follows:-

VVhen the arm 28 strikes the end of the valve stem or the tappet headthereon, it depresses the valve stem, and such depression moves thesleeve 15 downward through the action of the pin 22 against the head 18.

This brings the clutch surfaces 16 and 17 into engagement, and then uponfurther downward movement, the sleeve 15 is rotated, due to the rotationof the threaded member 11 within the barrel 13; and as the sleeve 15 andvalve stem are locked together, so as to turn in unison, a rotativemovement is imparted to the valve stem and to the valve, which causes adifferent portion of the valve to be exposed to the action of the hotgases each time the valve is operated.

When the cam member releases from the tappet, -the spring 25 acts torestore the valve to its normal or seated position; and immediately whenthe sprin acts, it moves the valve stem upward and separates the clutchsurfaces 16 and 17 so that the valve returns to normal position with astraight, non-rotative movement. It is during this return movement thatthe shoulder 9 on the valve stem functions. When the stem movesupwardly, the shoulder engages the lower face 10of the threaded member11 and restores said member to normal position. The shoulder makes anextended and firm connection with the lower end of the threaded member,insuring a positive operation. When the threaded member is returned tonormal position, it rotates, but owin to the fact that the clutchconnection is roken, such rotative movement is not imparted to the valvestem.

When the turning movement is imparted it will be apparent that the stemturns upon so tl at when the pin' the ring 27 is driven into place, itrests against the lower shoulder of the enlarged portion 29 and thelower face of the collar 23, so that it has a firm and even bearing.

There may be structural changes made in the parts shown and described,and the invention is not to be limited except as may be by the terms ofthe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a valve of the class described, the combination of a valve stem, avalve member on the stem, a sleeve connected to the stem, an outer ballrace member connected to said sleeve, an inner ball race member loosewith respect to the sleeve, balls associated with said race members,said race members being disposed one below the other, means forimparting a rotating movement to the sleeve to turn the stem and valvemember during the valve movements, a ring having adriving fit on thesleeve, said inner race member having a recess in its outer face toreceive the ring, and said sleeve being formed with a shoulder aboutwhich the inner race member has a loose bearing, said rin when driveninto said recess abutting against said shoulder and acting to hold thesaid race members against separating movement, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a valve of the class described, the combination of a valve stemreduced at one end to form a shoulder medially thereof, a

valve member on the thick end of said stem,

a member looselyv mounted on the reduced end of said stem with one endof said member bearing against said shoulder, a clutch surface. on theopposite end of said member, a sleeve on the reduced end of said stem,means for connecting the sleeve with the stem, a clutch surface on thesleeve adapted to engage with the clutch surface on said member when thestem is moved in one directlon, means for imparting a rotative movementto said member during said clutch engagement. whereby the valve is givena rotative movement, means acting to break the clutch connection whenthe valve stem starts moving in the opposite direction. and saidshoulder engaging said member during such opposite movement and actingto restore it to normal position, substantially as described.

3. In a valve of the class described, the' combination of a valvemember, a removthe valve member to facilitate the turningv ableseparable ball-bearing associated with of the valve, means for impartinga rotating movement to the valve member during the-valve movementsincluding a clutchseparable ball-bearing intact when the latter isdisassociated from the valve stem, substantially asdescribed.

4, In a .valve of the class described, the combination of a valve stem,a valve member on the stem, a sleeve fastened to the stem to preventrelative rotation between the sleeve and the stem, an outer ball racemember connected to said sleeve, an inner ball, race member loose withrespect to the sleeve, balls associated with said race members, saidrace members being disposed one below the other, a relatively rotativemember mounted on the valve stem, a clutch connection between therotative member and the sleeve for imparting a rotating movement to thesleeve to turn the stem and valve member during one'of the valvemovements, means for separating said clutch connection when the stem ismoved in the opposite direction and means carried by the sleeve andcoactingwith the inner ball race member for holding said race membersagainst separating movement, substantially as described. 5. In a valveof the class described, the combination of a valve stem, a valve memberon the stem, a sleeve fastened to the stem to prevent relative rotationbetween the sleeve and the stem, an outer ball race member connected tosaid sleeve, an inner ball race member loose with respect to the sleeve,balls associated with said race member, said race member being disposed,one below the other, means carried by the sleeve 'for holding the racemembers against separating movement, a one-way acting clutch forimparting a rotating movement to the sleeve to turn the stem and'valvemember during one of the valve movements, and means for separating saidclutch connection when the valve is moved in the opposite directiofi,substantially as described.

6. In a valve of the class described, the combination of a valve stem, avalve member on the stem, a sleeve fastened to the stem to preventrelative rotation between the sleeve and the stem, an outer ball racemember connected to said sleeve, an innerball race member loose withrespect to the sleeve, balls associated with said race members, saidrace members being disposed one below the other, a clutch connectioncoactive with said sleeve for imparting a rotating movement 'to thesleeve to turn the stem and valve member during one of the valvemovements,

means for separating said clutch connection during the o posite movementof said valve, a ring aving a driving.-- fit on the sleeve, and saidring when for'ced against the inner race member holding the 'racemembers against separating movement, substantially as described.

7. In a valve of the-class described, the combination of a valve stem,21 valve member on the stem, means for imparting a step by step rotationof the valve member dur ing the movement of the valve stem in onedirection including a clutch connection, means acting to break theclutch connection during the opposite movement of said valve stem, aremovable separable ball bearing associated with the valve stem tofacilitate the turning of the valve, and other detachable means carriedby the ball bearing intact when the latter is disassociated from thevalve stem, substantially as described.

8. In a valve of the class described, the combination of a valve stem, avalve member on the, stem, means for impartin a step by step rotation tothe valve memfiier during the movement of the valve stem in onedirection including a clutch connection, means actuating to break theclutch connection during the opposite movement of said valve stem, aball bearing facilitating the turning of the valve, said bearingcomprising oppositely disposed members formed with cooperating racewaysfor balls, balls therein, a member removably inserted through the valvestem and extending crosswise of the stem to a point beyond the stem, andone of said oppositely disposed members having a recess therein tointerlock with said stem member to prevent relative rotation betweensaid oppositely disposed member and the valve stem, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

WILMER G. BUCK.

